Amanda Forrester / new@whmi.com

Local libraries are responding to an Executive Order signed by President Trump that would cut funding for certain library services.

The Brighton District Library, Hamburg Township Library, Cromaine District Library, Howell Carnegie District Library, Fowlerville District Library and Pinckney Community Public Library wrote a press release in response.

The order was signed by Trump on March 14 and “seeks to eliminate the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the nation’s only federal agency for America’s libraries,” the press release said.

The Michigan electronic Library’s educational databases as well as the state-wide interlibrary loan service MeLCat are both funded by IMLS. Local library users will have less access to books and other library materials.

According to the press release, libraries across the state shared over one million books and other materials with each other in 2024. MeL was used by students and others to access over 19 million electronic articles, journals and other online resources to complete homework, study and conduct research.

“I participate in an Ann Arbor Book Club made up of young professionals,” R. M. Young, a longtime Pinckney resident said. “The book titles we choose to read focus on text-heavy classics, oftentimes out-of-print and mostly scholarly writings. These are books that I would not expect my local public library to have on hand so readily. Through MeL, the Pinckney Library becomes a bridge–a conduit–to all libraries in Michigan, giving me access to books I would not be able to get. I’m always impressed by how MeL makes my local library more efficient. Not everyone has access or owns a computer, nor adept at using them. When I need a book that’s not available at the Pinckney Library, all I do is call them and request the title through MeL, and very quickly I get a callback to say my request is waiting for me to pick up.”

Local property taxes cover the majority of revenue for Michigan’s public libraries, but losing IMLS funding will eliminate MeL and MeLCat.

“In Michigan, these federally funded programs provide a hard return on investment of $27 per tax dollar,” the press release said. “This means for every $1 invested in libraries across the state, Michiganders see $27 in received value.”

2024 saw users of the six Livingston County libraries borrowed 19,013 items through MeLCat, which was approximately $380,260 in resource sharing.

The press release included a link to another release from the Michigan Department of Education regarding the elimination of IMLS, which is linked below. The Executive Order is also linked below.